Vendôme (Loir-et-Cher), special envoy.
In one hand, a scrap metal colander. In the other, a piece of wood. On the front line, facing the CRS cordon, Michel beats in rhythm in a hubbub that goes “tut” and especially “ding”!
Despite his 85 years, this May 68 striker, a member of the PCF since 1960, did not resist the call of the casserole to welcome Emmanuel Macron, the president who “decide everything, all alone”, in his home town of Vendôme. “I retired at 58 and I couldn’t take it anymore, says the ex-toolmaker. I fight for my children and my grandchildren. Macron must hear that we will not let go until the withdrawal. »
Around him, hundreds of other demonstrators opted instead for pans, trumpets, whistles or even iron lids to make their anger heard in the sub-prefecture of Loir-et-Cher. A demonstration initially banned by the prefecture – which had also prohibited “sound amplifying devices” –, before the court allows it.
An ultra-protected bubble, tailor-made for Emmanuel Macron’s visit
At the same time, the Head of State is a few hundred meters from his reception committee, warm in a Vendôme health center to which, for fear of power cuts claimed by the CGT, a Generator.
In the center of this city of 16,000 inhabitants, an ultra-protected bubble, tailor-made for Emmanuel Macron’s visit, leaves the din several hundred meters behind six police trucks. Arrived early, only about sixty people were able to approach, glued to barriers, including many elderly supporters of the President of the Republic, who did not go « au contact » as they say around him. This is the case of Mireille, who finds it “not authoritative enough” and who worked until the age of 64: “And I didn’t die! » she smiled.
Danielle is from this “silent majority” who she said would support pension reform. She regrets “errors subsequently corrected” committed by ministers, such as on the minimum pension. But Emmanuel Macron did not come to talk about his hated reform. He wants to close the parenthesis, to trace his route against opponents whom he reduces to a « décor » little “civic”.
“I have never presided by watching the polls”, he loose, in front of about thirty journalists. If he arrived around 2 p.m., it was to evoke the medical deserts but without an announcement to make. He says he wants to draw inspiration from Vendôme because access to healthcare ” works well “, renting the brand new nursing home that is supposed to attract new professionals.
“We hit bowls because we have nothing left to eat! »
Outside, if they had mainly come to demand the withdrawal of the pension reform, the demonstrators also want to talk about the subject of the day and contradict the presidential version: “It’s absurd, he brags about medical deserts in a structure where there are only liberal health professionals. And he did not even invite the directors of the clinic and the hospital, while the maternity is in danger of closing for lack of midwives”, hallucinates Virginie, nurse.
Before, we had Social Security, public services. They destroyed everything and say they will put them back. They are responsible for the situation. » Roland, CGT trade unionist
And Roland, CGT trade unionist, to abound: “Before, we had social security, public services. They destroyed everything and say they will put them back. They are responsible for the situation. » Others attack the Head of State on his record in terms of purchasing power, like Isabelle who “unwinds” banging on his saucepan.
Some still do not swallow the verticality of macronism, like Nico who would like to remind him “that he was elected to defeat Le Pen”. “We hit bowls because we have nothing left to eat! gets angry Mehdi, former yellow vest. It’s going to end up really blowing up from not hearing anything…”
“If he withdraws the reform, it will calm things down a bit. But it’s all the rights that we have lost that we want to recover, “ summarizes Ludovic Loiseau, secretary of the local CGT union. The latter praises mobilizations “peaceful” which did not prevent the CRS from using tear gas on Tuesday.
With the “thousand” of opponents, they continued their rally, unable to directly challenge Emmanuel Macron, by blocking a national 10 invaded by CGT, FSU, NPA, EELV or even PCF flags. We said hello to the CRS who remained below, along the railway line. On the asphalt, the noise of the pans was then covered only by that of the support horns. Hence Michel’s prediction: ” It is just beginning. »
2023-04-26 04:25:46
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